Rutland, A. & Killen, M. (2012). Moral development in intergroup contexts: The tension between fairness and group identity. Paper presented in a symposium convened by J. Smetana entitled “Moral development in adolescence’ at the 13th Biennial Conference of the European Association for Research on Adolescence, University of Athens, Island of Spetses, Greece, 29th August – 1st September.

Rutland, A. (2012). Group Identity and Social Cognition: The Development of Intergroup Bias and Differentiation within Peer Groups. Paper in an Invited Symposium entitled “When, Why, and How Group Identity becomes Ingroup Bias: The Role of Social Cognition, Social Identity, and Morality”, convened by Melanie Killen at the at Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Montreal, Canada, 31st March – 2nd April.

Rutland, A., Abrams, D., Palmer, S. & Lee, S. (2011). Children’s understanding of group dynamics: The role of group norms, threat and status. Paper presented in a symposium convened by A. Rutland and H. Tenenbaum entitled ‘Is it OK to socially exclude or include? The development of reasoning about and understanding of social exclusion and inclusion’ at the at Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Montreal, Canada, 31st March – 2nd April.

Mulvey, K. L. S., Hitti, A., Killen, M., Rutland, A. & Abrams., D. (2011). Social seasoning about exclusion and group dynamics. Paper presented in a symposium convened by A. Rutland and H. Tenenbaum entitled ‘Is it OK to socially exclude or include? The development of reasoning about and understanding of social exclusion and inclusion’ at the at Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Montreal, Canada, 31st March – 2nd April.

Rutland . A. & Fitroy, S. (2010). Children’s ‘Theory of Social Mind’ (ToSM), social norms and social emotions: Their role in the control of intergroup bias. Paper presented at Small Group Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology on “Developmental Perspectives on Intergroup Prejudice: Advances in Theory, Measurement, and Intervention”, Lisbon University Institute (ISCTE-IUL), Portugal, 5-8th July.

Jugert, P., Noack, P. & Rutland, A. (2008).Friendship Preferences among German and Turkish Preadolescents. Paper presented at Small Group Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology on “Developmental Perspectives on Intergroup Prejudice: Advances in Theory, Measurement, and Intervention”, Lisbon University Institute (ISCTE-IUL), Portugal, 5-8th July.

Rodrigues, R., Monteiro, M. B., Rutland, A. & Feddes, A. (2010). Why a (mis)match? Developmental association between implicit and explicit ethnic attitudes with accountability and anti-prejudice norm as moderators. Paper presented at Small Group Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology on “Developmental Perspectives on Intergroup Prejudice: Advances in Theory, Measurement, and Intervention”, Lisbon University Institute (ISCTE-IUL), Portugal, 5-8th July.

Rutland . A. & Fitroy, S. (2010). The role of social group norms and social-cognitive ability in the control of explicit ethnic discrimination during childhood. Paper presented at International Conference on “Discrimination and Tolerance in Intergroup Relations”, University of Jena, Germany, 30th June – 3rd July.

Lee, S., Abrams, D. & Rutland, A. (2010). Can subjective dynamics be reversed in children with an ingroup norm of inclusivity? Paper presented at International Conference on “Discrimination and Tolerance in Intergroup Relations”, University of Jena, Germany, 30th June – 3rd July.

Benbow, A. & Rutland, A. (2010). When are we orientated towards other ethnic groups in multicultural settings? A comparison of the effect of ethnic identity, perceived similarity and typicality in minority and majority adolescents in Germany and the United Kingdom, Paper presented at International Conference on “Discrimination and Tolerance in Intergroup Relations”, University of Jena, Germany, 30th June – 3rd July.

Abrams, D., Rutland, A., Pelletier, J. & Ferrell, J. (2009). How do children evaluate and make sense of deviance in groups? Paper presented at Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Denver, USA, 2-4th April.

Rutland, A. & Fitroy, S. (2009). Self-regulation and prejudice development in childhood. Paper presented at the 10th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Tampa, Florida, U.S.A., 5-7th February.

Rutland, A.. & Fitzroy, S. (2008). The development of self-presentation and prejudice inhibition in childhood. Paper presented at 15th General Meeting of European Association of Experimental Social Psychology, Opatija, Croatia, 10-14th July.

Rodrigues, R., Correia, R., Morais, R., Monteiro, M. B. & Rutland, A. (2008).The development of children’s ethnic attitudes: The role of perspective taking and social norms of inclusion as three path mediators of age effect. Paper presented at 15th General Meeting of European Association of Experimental Social Psychology, Opatija, Croatia, 10-14th July.

Cameron, L., & Rutland, A. (2008). “But do they want to be friends with me?” Using extended contact interventions to change children’s inter-group attitudes. Paper presented at 15th General Meeting of European Association of Experimental Social Psychology, Opatija, Croatia, 10-14th July.

Benbow, A. & Rutland, A. (2007). Predictors of bi-cultural competence in second generation immigrants to the United Kingdom, Paper presented at 13th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, University of Jena, Germany, 21st-25th August.

Rutland, A. (2011). What are the origins of prejudice, ethnic homophily and intragroup biases? Paper in an Invited Symposium entitled “When, Why and How do Prejudice, Intergroup and Intragroup Bias Develop in Childhood: The Role of Social Identity, Group Norms and Social Cognition” (Convenor: Adam Rutland), presented at the British Psychology Society Social Section Annual Conference, University of Cambridge, 6-8th September.

Abrans, D., Lee, S. & Rutland, A. (2010). How do children anticipate out-group member's inclusion of ingroup members? The role of threat and group status. Paper presented at the British Psychology Society Developmental Section Annual Conference, Goldsmiths, University of London, 12-15th September.

Research Interests

Social exclusion and inclusion in childhood and adolescence

Social exclusion and inclusion in childhood and adolescence that involves intergroup bias and prejudice, i.e., someone being rejected or accepted because of the social group they belong to or whether they behave in accordance with the norms of a social group (see Killen & Rutland. 2011).

development of intergroup attitudes and prejudice in childhood

The development of attitudes in children towards members of their own social group (i.e. ingroup) and others from different social groups (i.e. outgroups), involving recursive reasoning about other's mental and emotional states (e.g. Rutland, 2013; Fitzroy & Rutland, 2010). Our research has addressed the issue of why children from an early age show moral judgments and reasoning, yet they also can show both explicit and implicit intergroup biases and prejudice. This has lead to a new social-cognitive developmental perspective on prejudice which focuses on interplay between morality and group identity (see Rutland, Killen & Abrams, 2010).

reduction of prejudice via intergroup contact in childhood

How prejudice can be challenged by encouraging contact between children of different social groups, either direct or indirect/extended. Our research has demonstrated how intergroup contact works by changing how a child perceives the relationships between social categories and the norms within groups (e.g., Feddes, Noack & Rutland, 2009).

development of group dynamics, group norms and morality

How in middle childhood and into adolescence individuals develop a more sophisticated understanding of how social groups work (i.e. group dynamics) and the importance of groups norms when deciding how to think and behave within social groups. Underlying this process is the development of social perspective taking involving emotions, morality and social relationships (i.e. 'Theory of Social Mind') and the need to enhance group identity and maintain the norms of the social group (e.g. Abrams, Rutland, Pelletier & Ferrell, 2009; Killen, Rutland, Abrams, Mulvey & Hitti, 2013).

cross-ethnic friendships, acculturation and psychological well-being amongst children and adolescents

The development of cross-ethnic friendships, acculturation and group identity strategies and psychological well-being. Our longitudinal research has shown that a bicultural group identity and a common in-group identity amongst ethnic minority status children is related to higher peer acceptance and less preference for same-ethnic friendships (e.g. Rutland et al., 2012; Jugert, Noack & Rutland, 2012). We have developed a valid measure of acculturation amongst ethnic minority status 5-11 year old children, and shown its association with psychological well-being and social-emotional development (e.g., Brown et al., in press).

The development of subjective group dynamics Rutland, Adam and Abrams, Dominic. 2008. The development of subjective group dynamics. In: Sheri Levy and Melanie Killen, eds. Intergroup Relations: An Integrative Developmental and Social Psychological Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 47-65. ISBN 978-0195189742